Government Reiterates Commitment to Fight Illicit Drug Trafficking

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Guatemala City, by Julio Morales -AGN- The Government of Guatemala, through the Ministry of the Interior -Mingob-, held a meeting with representatives from the United States to strengthen cooperation in the fight against the trafficking of illicit substances.

The meeting gathered the Guatemalan Minister of the Interior, David Napoleón Barrientos, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Central America from the Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Eric Jacobstein, and the Chargé d’Affaires of the United States Embassy in Guatemala, Patrick Ventrell.

They addressed relevant aspects related to joint actions, results, and cooperation for destroying precursors and chemical substances in the territory.

El Ministro @NapoleonBG_ sostuvo una reunión con el Subsecretario Adjunto de Estado para Centroamérica de la Oficina de Asuntos del Hemisferio Occidental Eric Jacobstein y el Encargado De Negocios de la @usembassyguate Patrick Ventrell. pic.twitter.com/mK1Gge0IZB

— MinGob (@mingobguate) September 7, 2023

Support from the United States

Officials from the United States Government recognized Guatemala’s security forces’ efforts in their fight against the trafficking of illicit substances and transnational crime.

They noted that these actions have led to dismantling criminal structures and capturing extraditable traffickers linked to drug-related crimes and other offenses.

The U.S. government representatives expressed their willingness to maintain a close relationship of trust with Guatemalan authorities and to continue supporting projects that combat transnational crime and common threats.

En su lucha contra el tráfico de sustancias ilícitas y el combate al crimen transnacional, que se ha materializado desarticulando estructuras criminales y captura de extraditables, vinculados a delitos de la narcoactividad y otros ilícitos. pic.twitter.com/DZg18k2JXp

— MinGob (@mingobguate) September 7, 2023

Results 

Strategic actions and operational plans continue developing through the General Sub-Directorate Analysis in Anti-Narcotics Information.

These efforts have allowed for the dismantling of drug trafficking criminal structures, the eradication of illicit crops, the apprehension of extraditable criminals, drug seizures, and the confiscation of assets and cash.

Since the beginning of this year, authorities have achieved the following results:

• 671 individuals arrested for drug-related offenses.
• 12 alleged drug traffickers detained for extradition to the United States of America.
• 79.07 metric tons of precursors and chemical substances have been destroyed.
• 4 clandestine laboratories shut down, and five clandestine airstrips disabled.